A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

For Odour, God is pleased with the smell of our graces.^a See, the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed, Cant. 7.13. The Mandrakes give a pleasant smell. Not that our good works smell fragrantly of themselves, but in the merits of Christ, Cant. 1.3. The virgin souls espoused to Christ, get their husbands flowers: his perfumes make them sweet.^b All thy garments smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cassia. Thy Garments: our clothes hide but a rotten carcass, perhaps a rotten conscience: Christs garments are truly sweet. Thy garments: our best righteousness is loathsome rags, Isaiah 64.6. All thine, thy justice, thy mercy, thy grace, thy satisfaction, thy obedience: All; there is not a hem of thy vesture, but if it be touched with the hand of faith, is healing and saving. They smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cassia: they are confortative, Psal. 94.19. In the midst of my sorrows thy comforts delight my soul. Purgative; Heb. 9.14. they cleanse our consciences. Sanative; 1 Pet. 2.24. By his stripes we are healed. In his merits our Mandrakes give a pleasant smell. Now that this sweet Odour may be in our works, we must be sure to take out the sent of Adam, the ill savour of our native corruption. Our prayers are^c as Incense, and the lifting up of our hands, as an evening sacrifice: Yet, Non speciosa laus in ore peccatoris; Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner. It is like Samsons honey out of the mouth of a dead beast. if you walk contrary to me,^d I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours But if it be sanctified, it is an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice well pleasing to God,